[MH1975]

Hi, this sweet little one has just been given to me "free to a good home"... She's obviously a mix but I've always had shorthair cats and this one's in-ear fur and paw fur (that is, the fur on her paws between the "palm" and fingers) is longer than any I've ever had, plus her whiskers and eyebrows are L-O-N-G, and kind of scraggly. A friend says she's part Persian but I wonder, my cat doesn't have a flat face/nose. Any guesses as to what breed she might have inherited those striking whiskers from?

 

[marie73]

Wow, she's gorgeous! And orange girls are pretty uncommon, you're so lucky! My girls have amazingly long whiskers, too. I was just noticing Charlee's the other day.

 

[spirite]

I have no idea about breeds, though I don't think Persians all have flat faces, but as marie said, orange girls aren't common, and she is stunning! Her coat looks like classic tabby, which I think is also uncommon, or at least less common than the mackerel pattern, with orange kitties. And those are really spectacular whiskers!!

Have you named her yet?

 

[MH1975]

Yep. After a LOT of negotiation and 6 or 7 lists between the 3 of us, we settled on... Phoebe.

 

[spirite]

Miss Phoebe is beautiful.

You could post pics in the breeding forum. We have several members who are really knowledgeable about breeds, and they're more likely to see your question if you post it there. I'll be curious to see what they have to say!

 

[Nuliajuk]

The flat face of modern Persians is actually a fairly new thing. I can remember when Persians still had noses, and it wasn't as long ago as you might think.
The gene for long hair is recessive, so it could have been introduced generations back in both parents.
She looks a bit Maine Coon-ish, so maybe there's some of that in her.

 

[MH1975]

Nuliajuk, I think you're right on the money. I was dimly aware of Maine Coon as a breed but didn't really have any particular image of them in mind: once I Googled "Orange Maine Coon" I couldn't believe how much some of the cats and kittens look like her. Even the markings on the face, plus little things like the way the thin white hairs in her ears curl. Thanks!